Bloomfield, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County
Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....

, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²), of which 26 square miles (67.3 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km² or 0.61%) is water.

Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....

 to the north-east, East Granby
East Granby, Connecticut
East Granby is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 5,058 in 2005. The town recently celebrated its 150th anniversary with a three-day festival on June 7, 8, and 9, 2008.-Geography:...

 to the north, Simsbury
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...

 and Avon
Avon, Connecticut
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley region of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. , the town had a population of 18,098.Avon is a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America by...

 to the west, and West Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....

 and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

 to the south.

The northern border of Bloomfield is formed by the Farmington River
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...

.
The west side is flanked by Talcott Mountain
Talcott Mountain
Talcott Montain of central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury...

, part of the Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...

, a mountainous trap rock
Trap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...

 ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...

 to nearly the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Bloomfield include Penwood State Park
Penwood State Park
Penwood State Park is a state park in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Located on Talcott Mountain, it is contiguous with the north end of Talcott Mountain State Park. The Metacomet Trail runs the entire length of the park, in addition to park trails and paved roads accessible by bike.Penwood State Park...

 and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...

, on the borders of East Granby, Simsbury, and Bloomfield. The 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...

 traverses the ridge.

Transportation

  • The major east-west throughway in Bloomfield is Route 218
    Connecticut Route 218
    Route 218 is a Connecticut state highway in the northwestern suburbs of Hartford, running in an "L" pattern from West Hartford to Windsor.-Route description:...

    , which starts at the Simsbury Road/Hall Boulevard split at the West Hartford
    West Hartford, Connecticut
    West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....

     line and inches north toward Cottage Grove Road before heading eastbound. Bloomfield also has two major north-south highways: Blue Hills Avenue (Route 187
    Connecticut Route 187
    Route 187 is a secondary state route in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It begins in the city of Hartford at Albany Avenue , travels north through the towns of Bloomfield, Windsor, East Granby and Suffield until the Connecticut-Massachusetts state line...

    ) and Bloomfield/Tunxis Avenues (Route 189
    Connecticut Route 189
    Route 189 is a state route in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The route begins in the northwestern portion of the Connecticut state capital of Hartford and ends in the rural town of Granville...

    ). These highways merge when approaching the Windsor
    Windsor, Connecticut
    Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....

     line but before returning to Bloomfield.

  • Ten bus routes in Connecticut Transit
    Connecticut Transit
    Connecticut Transit is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation. CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New...

    's Hartford Division serve Bloomfield: 36, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 72, 74, 76, and 92.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 19,587 people, 7,902 households, and 5,152 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 753.0 people per square mile (290.8/km²). There were 8,195 housing units at an average density of 315.0 per square mile (121.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 40.00% White, 54.06% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.60% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.67% of the population.

There were 7,902 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,812, and the median income for a family was $64,892. Males had a median income of $42,860 versus $36,778 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $28,843. About 5.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 27, 2009
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

8,740 403 9,143 58.28%
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

1,597 100 1,697 10.82%
Unaffiliated 4,466 363 4,829 30.78%
Minor parties 18 2 20 0.12%
Total 14,821 868 15,689 100%

Schools

Bloomfield is home to three secondary schools: The public Bloomfield High School, the inter-district Big Picture High School (serving grades 9-12), and the Metropolitan Learning Center (serving grades 6-12).

Bloomfield also has one middle school (Carmen Arace M.S.) and four primary schools (Laurel School, Metacomet School, J.P. Vincent School, and the inter-district Metropolitan Learning Center
Metropolitan Learning Center
The Metropolitan Learning Center is a magnet school that is based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The school is part of the Capitol Region Education Council.-History:...

, a CREC school). Carmen Arace serves grade 5-8 while J.P. Vincent, Metacomet, and Laurel elementary schools serve grades K-4.

Notable residents, past and present

  • Lawrence Clay Bey
    Lawrence Clay Bey
    Lawrence Marvin Clay-Bey is an American heavyweight professional boxer. Although he had a very promising amateur career, as a pro, Clay-Bey never lived up to the hype that once surrounded him....

     (1965-), professional heavyweight boxer was born in town.
  • Dwight Freeney
    Dwight Freeney
    Dwight Jason Freeney is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University.-Early years:Freeney attended Bloomfield High School...

    , NFL All-Pro Defensive End for the Indianapolis Colts attended Bloomfield High School.
  • Edward H. Gillette
    Edward H. Gillette
    Edward Hooker Gillette was a nineteenth-century populist politician and editor from Iowa. He was elected on the Greenback Party ticket to represent Iowa's 7th congressional district for only one term in Congress, but remained active in populist political movements.Gillette was the son of Senator...

     (1840–1918), US Representative for Iowa was born in town.
  • Jessica Hecht
    Jessica Hecht
    Jessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...

     (1965-), actress was born in town.
  • K.C. Jones (1932-), NBA hall of fame basketball player is a resident.
  • Anika Noni Rose
    Anika Noni Rose
    Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....

     (1972-), singer and actress was born in town
  • Joseph F. Ryter
    Joseph F. Ryter
    Joseph Francis Ryter was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Ryter attended the parochial schools and St...

     (1914–1978), US Representative for Connecticut was a resident and is buried in town.
  • Nykesha Sales
    Nykesha Sales
    Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...

     (1976-), WNBA basketball player was born in town.
  • James Thorpe
    James Thorpe (academic)
    James Thorpe He had been the director of the Huntington Library, and a professor of English at Princeton University. He was the author of a biography of the library namesake, Henry Edwards Huntington.He was awarded Guggenheim Fellowships in 1949 and 1965.-references:...

     (1915–2009), Princeton University
    Princeton University
    Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

     professor and academic lived his later years and died in town.

On the National Register of Historic Places

  • Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters
    Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters
    Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters is a notable building in Bloomfield, Connecticut.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2010....

  • Capt. Oliver Filley House
    Oliver Filley House
    The Oliver Filley House is a Greek Revival building in Bloomfield, Connecticut, United States. It was occupied by Captain Oliver Filley and his family, a tinsmith who served as a captain in the Connecticut militia during the War of 1812....

  • Francis Gillette House
  • Old Farm Schoolhouse
  • Southwest District School

Places of interest

  • The New England Muscle Bicycle Museum, with 120 bicycles from the 1960s and 1970s, is open by appointment http://www.nemusclebikes.com/
  • Bloomfield is home to The First Cathedral
    The First Cathedral
    The First Cathedral exists both as a non-denominational Christian ministry based in Bloomfield, Connecticut as well as the edifice in which the ministry is held . Originally known as The 1st Baptist Church, it was founded in 1968 in Hartford, Connecticut. The pastor is Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr.-...

    , the largest Non-Denominational Church in New England
    New England
    New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

    , and the Bloomfield Farm Implements Museum.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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